CHAPTER TWELVE

Natasha convinced that the coast was clear, began to type furiously on the phone. She had sighted Sugar holding it in her hand and, thus, getting it off her during the altercation.

She laughed inwardly at the thought of Sugar's frustration when she notices that her phone is missing.

She turned her back to the car, squatting, making sure that the phone light didn't give her away. One of the things she learned fast was to memorize digits. And, she had memorized Luca and Olivia's contacts, just in case. It was as if she knew that she might run into trouble.

Done typing Luca's number, Natasha thought briefly about how to arrange her train of thought. First, she wouldn't dare inform Luca that she had met Lorenzo. It was too soon to conclude.

What if this was an imposter, and she had just landed herself in more trouble by getting Lucas's hopes up? For all she knew, she was treading on thin ice, taking a risk she thought was worth it.

Again, it would be foolish of her to also accept that she had gone with the enemy to work for him. That would be implicating her sister because Luca's insecurities would come to play, and he would sort for ways to bring her back to teach her a lesson.

Lastly, she was taking this move because, maybe, just maybe, a better proposal would arise from it. Once that happened, she would take her sister and permanently disappear. She would be done with this life. That was after getting her revenge, of course.

"Yes," Luca's stern voice spoke at the first ring of the phone.

"This is Vera. I don't have time. My boss promoted me to the house manager, and we're traveling out of state to handle a job. This doesn't mean I don't have the mission in mind. And, I'll continue training. Don't think or do anything stupid, Luca," she warned. "I'll contact you when I'm settled."

Satisfied with her delivery of the message, she smashed the phone on the floor and squashed the remnants with her heels.

Just then, she felt a tight palm clamping around her neck, squeezing. Out of reflexes, she swung around, grabbed the culprit's elbow, and twisted. Then, she landed unfriendly punches to calculated places; abdomen, chest, and jaw.

Staggering back, Lorenzo grunted. That gave Natasha enough room to make out the face of who had grabbed her. Natasha thought fast and hard about what to say to remedy the situation. "Are you okay?" she questioned, helping him get up.

"Fuck! You're vicious," she whined, standing upright. Realization dawned on him and his eyes went wide. "Natasha, I know a fighter when I see one. Who do you work for?" Lorenzo, meaning his question, slid the phone in his left-hand back into his pocket, swiftly grabbing Natasha. He pinned her down, causing her to gasp for air.

"No one!" she shrieked, kicking into thin air. "I took martial arts classes and a little bit of boxing for self-defense as I was bullied much when I was younger," she said.

She knew that now that Lorenzo had composed himself, fighting him off would be futile because men like him were good with combat and ammunition.

Natasha was able to take her shot because he wasn't expecting such a fragile girl to throw hard punches.

Natasha, on the other hand, had to play dumb. Hopefully, it would fool Lorenzo.

When she began to lose consciousness from the hard grip restraining her airflow, Lorenzo released her. "That was luck, I can see. There's no way you're more than just a bartender," he sneered, helping her get up. "What were you doing?"

"Relieving myself as I told you."

"Didn't seem so. I was watching you for a long time."

Snapping, "staring at my nakedness?" she moved towards him, "you mean that you are a pervert!"

Laughing, "hold your houses. You don't have anything that I would love to see. I have seen better than what your body entails." He began walking away.

Natasha crossed her hands over her chest, heaving a big sigh of relief. With her foot, she covered the smashed phone with sand. That was close.

"I don't have all night, Natasha. Or, would you like to walk?" Lorenzo kept moving while talking to her.

She took off, keeping a minimum distance away from him. When they got to the car, Lorenzo blocked her door, closing the space between them. "There are two things I won't forgive. One is betrayal. Two, betrayal. Henceforth, I want you to choose your actions very well. You can't outsmart me, Natasha. Again, you don't want to know. . ."

Cutting in, "know who you're." She wanted to roll her eyes at the now boring warning. "You could be a charlatan. Why do I need to fear you when you haven't proven or shown anything other than a claim to a name nobody has seen the owner's face."

Lorenzo went speechless. This could be what got his attention. Her rebellion and fearlessness. He was going to enjoy taming and breaking her will.

Soon, Natasha would fear to even stand before him. The traces were present, but she hid them well. She hid her anxiety and fear while in the presence of Lorenzo.

"Prove? I need to prove myself to you to show that I'm myself. Hmm. Interesting." Lorenzo made sure that he was inches away from Natasha's face, his nose brushing against hers, both pairs of eyes burrowing into each other's.

He put a loose strand of Natasha's hair back in its place. It was dark, yet, he managed to see that. His vision had adjusted to it.

Natasha meant to stand in place, unflinching. But, her body didn't listen to her brain. She moved back, but Lorenzo grabbed her. Next, she felt a sharp prick on her neck. She touched the source of her pain, holding on to it.

"What did you do to me?"

"You're exhausted. Go to bed, Nat," he cooed, grabbing her in time as she slumped into his arms.

Lorenzo carried her unconscious body into the car, and they continued their journey.